Miami (EFE).- NASA and SpaceX postponed the launch of their Crew-11 mission late Thursday due to unfavorable weather conditions, delaying the flight of four astronauts aboard the Dragon capsule from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center to the International Space Station (ISS). A new launch attempt is scheduled for Friday.
“Due to the weather, NASA and SpaceX are standing down from today’s launch attempt,” the Kennedy Space Center announced, just hours before the scheduled liftoff at 12:09 pm local time.
SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, confirmed that cloud cover at Cape Canaveral made conditions unsafe.
The earliest possible new launch window is Friday at 11:43 am.
The delay came as a surprise, as just hours earlier the forecast indicated a 90% chance of favorable weather and all systems were “looking good,” according to SpaceX.
“A poor weather forecast for the Kennedy Space Center this afternoon has led NASA and SpaceX to delay the launch of Crew-11,” the United States space agency said in a statement.
Astronauts remain ready for ISS mission
The mission crew includes NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov.
All four were already aboard the Dragon capsule when the launch was called off.
The spacecraft was initially expected to dock with the ISS at 07:00 GMT on Aug. 2.
Once aboard, Crew-11 will relieve the Crew-10 team, who are set to return to Earth after seven months in orbit.
“This mission is essential to our long-term goals,” said mission commander Zena Cardman in a video shared by SpaceX before the planned launch. “It’s imperative for us to push further into space, to learn more about our own planet as we aim to go beyond.”
Crew-11 to support Artemis and deep space research
Crew-11 plays a vital role in NASA’s broader Artemis campaign by simulating scenarios astronauts could encounter at the Moon’s south pole.
The mission also aims to demonstrate how the ISS can assist in preparing crews for deep-space exploration.
The astronauts will conduct scientific experiments, technology demonstrations, and maintenance tasks aboard the orbital lab.
This marks SpaceX’s 11th crew rotation mission to the ISS.
The current crew, Crew-10, arrived in March and was previously tasked with rescuing astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who were stranded aboard the ISS for over nine months due to technical issues with the Boeing spacecraft that brought them. EFE
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